Prunella modularis

Order

Family

BTO 2

BTO 5

Euring 5

ILLUSTRATION

PHOTOS

CONSERVATION STATUS

UK Conservation Status

European Conservation Status

Conservation Description

The Dunnock is resident in the UK, Isle of Man, and Ireland. It It has an "Amber" status because of recent population declines.

SUMMARY

Overview

Dunnock: House Sparrow-sized bird with rich brown upperparts and flanks that are streaked with dark brown, brown crown and ear patch, and blue-grey head, breast, and underparts. Bill is black and narrow, legs and feet are pink-brown. Moves mouse-like over the ground, flicking its wings as it goes.

Range and Habitat

Dunnock: Resident in the UK and Ireland. More common in the lowland areas. Found from coniferous and deciduous forests to gardens, hedges, moorland bracken and scrub and bramble patches. Lives in Europe and Russia, some winter in northern Mediterranean countries. Some Scandinavian birds arrive in the fall.

SONGS AND CALLS

Voice Text

"tseep"

INTERESTING FACTS

The Dunnock is also known as the Hedge Sparrow or Hedge Accentor.

It is a host of the Cuckoo, probably a recent association since it hasn't learned to differentiate between eggs, and the cuckoo hasn't evolved eggs to match its host.

It is the most widespread member of the accentor family and the only one that lives in lowland areas.

A group of accentors are collectively known as a "diacriticality" and "host" of accentors.

RELATED BIRDS

RANGE MAP

FAMILY DESCRIPTION

Accentors (Prunellidae)

ORDER

The accentors are one of the one hundred eighteen families of birds in the order PASSERIFORMES (pronounced pas-ser-i-FOR-meez); a large taxonomic order that also includes other small birds such as wrens, warblers, and sparrows.

FAMILY TAXONOMY

Thirteen species of accentors in one genus are included in the Prunellidae (pronounced proo-NELL-uh-dee), a family mostly restricted to Eurasia (IOC World Bird List, version 2.3).

EUROPE

Seven species of the Prunellidae in one genus have occurred in Europe, two of which are vagrants from Asia. Species in this family include the familiar Dunnock and the Alpine Accentor.

KNOWN FOR

The accentors are mostly known for being birds of the mountains although the Dunnock is a common garden bird. In the high mountains of Asia, the Himalayan Accentor occurs as high as 17,000 feet; an exceptionally high altitude for a small bird.

PHYSICAL

Accentors are small, warbler-like birds with fairly long wings and tails, medium length, strong legs and feet, and a medium length, thin, pointed bill suited to their insectivorous diet.

COLORATION

Members of this family are generally plumaged in various shades of brown, grey, and white with heavy streaking on the back and underparts. Several species also show yellow, buff, or rufous in the plumage and strong black markings on the head.

GEOGRAPHIC HABITAT

Accentor species in Europe mostly breed in the north or in mountainous areas and occur in the lowlands of southern Europe in the winter. While the Dunnock prefers scrubby vegetation in gardens, parks, and various woodlands, the Alpine Accentor inhabits bare, rocky ground at high elevations. The two accentors that have occurred as vagrants (the Siberian and Black-throated) are birds of spruce thickets and other low, bushy habitats.

MIGRATION

Whereas some populations of the Dunnock and Alpine Accentor migrate short distances to warmer climates within Europe, the Siberian and Black-throated Accentors are long distance migrants to central and southern Asia.

HABITS

Some accentor species occur in flocks, but the family is not noted for being particularly social and does not nest in colonies. Accentors forage for small arthropods by picking them off of the ground and from low vegetation.

CONSERVATION

None of the accentor species in Europe are threatened with extinction.

INTERESTING FACTS

The Dunnock (the common Eurasian accentor species) has also been called the Hedge Sparrow because of its affinity for low, thick vegetation and its resemblance to sparrow species. It is not closely related to sparrows however; accentors probably being more closely related to thrushes and Old World warblers.

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters
of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus)
and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante
(2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42
(Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported
by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

The Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) was established in the mid-1990 s as a cooperative project among several federal agencies to improve and
expand upon taxonomic data (known as the NODC Taxonomic Code) maintained by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA).

To find the ITIS page for a bird species go to the ITIS web site advanced search and report page at http://www.itis.gov/advanced_search.html.
You can enter the TSN or the common name of the bird. It will return the ITIS page for that bird. Another way to obtain the ITIS page is to use
the Google search engine. Enter the string ITIS followed by the taxonomic ID, for example "ITIS 178041" will return the page for the Allen's Hummingbird.